UIL to hear appeal of PHS athlete's varsity eligibility

Published 11:45 am, Tuesday, October 15, 2013

When the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) state executive committee convenes at 8:30 Wednesday morning, the first case to be heard will involve a Plainview High School athlete.

Warren Flye, a junior who has emerged as the top running back for the Bulldogs’ junior varsity football team, had been declared ineligible for varsity competition by the District 4-4A executive committee under Section 443 of the UIL athletic handbook, changing schools for athletic purposes.

Bulldogs head coach and athletic director Ryan Rhoades will fly to Austin Tuesday night to be at the hearing Wednesday. Plainview High School principal Tye Rogers also will be present at the hearing, as will Flye’s parents. Rhoades said Tuesday afternoon that Flye will not go to Austin and would attend classes as usual at PHS Wednesday.

Flye moved to Plainview from the Haskell school district. Haskell is a Class 1A school located, as Rhoades described, “kind of halfway between Wichita Falls and Abilene.”

The appeal to the state executive committee is for varsity eligibility, Rhoades said. Even if the appeal is denied, Rhoades said, Flye will still be eligible to play at the junior varsity level for the rest of the year.

Rhoades explained the process when a student transfers from one school to another.

“Any time a young man moves into a new district, there’s a form called a previous athletic participation form,” Rhoades said. “They fill that out and then the form goes to the former school. If the former school feels like, for some reason, he’s moving for athletic purposes, they have an opportunity to say that at that point. Unfortunately for Warren, his former school did say he moved for athletic purposes. I don’t necessarily agree with that, but our district executive committee did. Warren’s mother and father have decided to appeal that decision to the state.”

Rhoades said Flye’s mother sent a letter to the state appealing the decision of the district executive committee. The coach said all interested parties are invited to attend the hearing.

“Mr. Rogers and I are going down to Austin and, if they ask us questions then, obviously, we’ll answer them,” Rhoades said. “But, really, it’s about Warren’s family and Warren’s parents will have an opportunity to say why they think he shouldn’t be ineligible. The state executive committee will ask questions about the ruling of the district executive committee. The district chairman will be there. The Haskell coach will be invited and encouraged to attend also. It’s not mandatory, but he will be invited and encouraged to attend. All parties involved will be there and have an opportunity to state their case.”

Rhoades said he hopes the state executive committee does what’s best for Flye.

“If they decide differently (than the district executive committee), Warren will become eligible for varsity competition,” Rhoades said. “And if they don’t, he won’t. We’re just hoping what’s best for Warren happens and we’ll trust that the men on the state executive committee want to do the same. And I know they do. Whatever ruling they make is the one we’ll abide by.”

Rhoades said the ruling of the state executive committee will be final. He said he expects them to make their ruling Wednesday morning and he should know Flye’s status by Wednesday afternoon.

Flye is coming off his best game of the season for the junior varsity football team. He scored all five Plainview touchdowns in a 35-35 tie with Lubbock High last week.